Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [136]

After a long silence, Allen looked at Eris again, feeling slightly awkward.

He didn’t know what to say.

It was… a strange feeling.

He paused, struggling to find the right words to describe it. The only memory that came close was—

The orphanage. Age eight. A time when childhood still meant something.

There had been a boy, two years younger, who clung to him every day.

Kids were like that, weren’t they? Always drawn to someone a little older.

But back then, Allen had just gone through being adopted by a couple—only to be returned a few weeks later when they decided to try for a child of their own. The bitterness still hadn’t faded. His emotions were like live wires, too volatile to hold back.

Especially that first day back, when he saw the orphanage gates again.

The sight triggered a physical reaction—his stomach twisted with nausea.

And on the other side of the gate, that kid was already waiting.

Who knows how he even heard the news—but there he was, bright-eyed, standing by the path.

There were a few “parents” there too, browsing for children.

Allen walked up and, without a word, snatched the candy the kid always refused to share—and walked away.

Sure enough, he heard crying behind him not long after.

Allen thought, Finally got rid of that little clingy pest.

But that night, he couldn’t sleep.

Those candies sat on the shelf by his bed, lined up neatly.

The next day, Allen went looking for him. Didn’t find him.

Third day, still no sign.

When he finally swallowed his childish pride and that self-important sense of “doing what’s best,” he asked a caretaker where the boy had gone.

She replied:

“Him? He was adopted. Day after you came back. You didn’t see him?”

“That kid was always stingy—but the moment he heard you were coming back, he kept saying he was going to give you his candy. Isn’t that something?”

Allen stood silent for a moment, staring at the candies in his hand.

He had been punished.

That child was never brought back.

Which, perhaps, was for the best.

It was what Allen had wanted, after all.

Allen blinked, pulling himself free from the old memory.

He had found the right word now.

Candy.

Eris had just offered him her candy.

And he’d smacked it away.

He looked up at her—lips still pressed in a pout, but her frustration was softening. Seeing Allen unresponsive for so long had deflated her bluster.

Allen cleared his throat lightly.

“…Sorry.”

Eris blinked, startled, then turned sharply to face him.

“Wha—what?! Why are you apologizing?!”

Allen had planned to shift the subject, to brush it all off with a casual remark.

But when he saw Eris’s face, he just smiled instead.

He raised a finger and pointed to his own face, his voice completely sincere.

“There was no killing intent. I felt it—Eris didn’t have any for me.”

“So… I’m sorry.”

“I was wrong.”

Rudeus, standing nearby, looked stunned. He’d been waiting for another squabble—maybe even a full-blown brawl—but what he got instead was one side sulking and the other suddenly apologizing.

He couldn’t keep up.

Eris blinked several times, clearly confused. Then, for some reason, shot a quick glance at Ghislaine—who was watching with a faint smile.

She looked back at Allen.

“I—I got it!”

“Ghislaine… then what?!”

Allen hesitated, not quite sure what she meant. He glanced at Ghislaine.

She smiled knowingly.

“She means the Water God Style topic. Eris doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. She wants to get back to where we left off before she threw her punch—specifically, why it’s okay for me to release killing intent when I swing my sword, but she has to learn to suppress hers.”

Eris nodded emphatically, instantly perking up. Her earlier gloom was gone in a flash.

“Yeah! Ghislaine only shows killing intent when she swings! I can just do the same!”

Allen chuckled and shook his head.

He’d almost forgotten where they’d left off.

Eris couldn’t remember arithmetic to save her life, but when it came to swordsmanship, her memory was sharp as a blade.

Now that she was back to her usual tsundere self, Allen decided to roll with it.

Better to go along than risk Rudeus getting smacked again.

“Ghislaine can do that because she’s fast. And strong. Unless she’s dragged into a drawn-out battle against an equally skilled opponent—”

Allen mimed a blade slicing through air.

“—by the time her killing intent is felt, the fight’s already over.”

“That’s the Sword God Style. That’s the [Longsword of Light].”

“I can do that too!”

“If you reach Ghislaine’s level, sure. But until then, it’s smarter to suppress it.”

“But Ghislaine’s so amazing… and I’m just a low-ranked swordswoman…”

Allen tilted his head toward her, watching her face fall slightly in frustration.

“Becoming a Sword King is still a long way off. But even so—”

He smiled, voice steady.

“Until that day comes, my Water God Style will have your back.”

Ghislaine suddenly chimed in.

“You seem very confident in Lady Eris.”

Allen blinked—then his smile broadened.

His reply was absolute.

“Eris.”

“Will become a Sword King.”

“That’s not even a question.”

As his words fell, Ghislaine turned to look at Eris.

She was staring at Allen, eyes shining with fierce determination.

“Will I be able to get as strong as you, Allen?!”

“You will.”

“Then can I get as strong as Ghislaine?!”

“You can.”

Eris blinked, glancing between Allen and Ghislaine.

“…Then who’s stronger—Allen or Ghislaine?”

Allen and Ghislaine both paused, exchanging a quick glance. For a brief moment, neither spoke.

Then Allen opened his mouth to respond—

But Eris cut in before he could.

“I want to see Allen and Ghislaine spar!”

At last, Rudeus caught up to the pace of the conversation. He blinked, looked around, and twitched at the edges of his mouth.

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me. We’re in the middle of a courtyard sword lesson. Like Allen’s gonna go along with something that—”

“Sure.”

Rudeus froze mid-sentence.

He slowly turned to Allen.

At that moment—

He could hear the creak of his own neck turning.

---

Cre-eak.

The door opened, drawing Hilda’s gaze back down from the tree canopy.

Sylphy stepped out from the “fitting room.”

White-haired, dressed in moonlight-blue.

The sunlight poured over her. The gown fit her perfectly.

The high-quality fabric and tightly stitched seams gave her shoulders a defined silhouette, subtly compensating for the unripe delicacy of a girl still growing into her frame.

The cinched waist drew out the elegant lines of her long-eared people—soft curves beginning to form at hip and waist.

And below that, the skirt split slightly at the sides, just above the knees. Her slender legs peeked out from the opening in fleeting glimpses.

If the earlier dress made her look childlike, this one announced her as a girl on the cusp of blossoming.

Hilda clapped her hands together, expression radiant.

“As I thought—Sylphy looks absolutely lovely in it.”

---

This is a fan translation of 无职转生：剑，魔法帽与恋爱系统 by 意外火灾 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!